Achieving comprehensive, affordable healthcare coverage for all Americans demands a new level of accountability in the insurance marketplace. This includes commonsense rules of the road to keep premiums down and prevent insurer abuses and denial of care. It will also end discrimination against those with pre-existing conditions and put our budget and economy on a sounder path by reducing government overspending and cracking down on waste, fraud and abuse.
Health reform must provide the means to enable families to choose physicians and providers who are best suited for their needs, regardless of their employer or where they live. It should eliminate the annual and lifetime limits on insurance coverage that have pushed many Americans into bankruptcy and it should allow small businesses to pool their employees’ individual coverage, thus providing more affordable options for them.
Any reform plan must provide a basic package of essential benefits that is updated and improved over time in light of the best available scientific evidence. This includes a core package of physician and hospital services, as well as prescription drug and dental/vision care. It must also include support for prevention and public health programs and a safety net to cover the residually uninsured.
Finally, any health reform must reduce the barriers to healthcare access that are created by the structural and procedural complexity of the system. This includes a patient-centered medical home model; addressing the needs of patients with complex chronic diseases through care management and coordination; and removing barriers to effective use of medications. It must also ensure that the medical profession is supported, not burdened, by bureaucratic red tape.
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